Healthy and beloved rye
You may have heard that people in Finland drink the most coffee in the world, but did you also know that they eat the most rye? On average, a Finn eats 16 kilograms of rye each year. Rye cultivation has a long history in Finland, going back at least 2,500 years. Thanks to its tolerance for cold weather, rye can thrive even in the north.
As a traditional and symbolic part of Finnish food culture, rye bread in particular has a place in the hearts of the Finns. It came as no surprise when rye bread was voted Finland’s national dish in 2017. The country even celebrates Rye Bread Day on 28 February, at the same time as Finnish Culture Day. Finland’s most popular rye bread is baked by Vaasan, a company that originates from the city of Vaasa in Ostrobothnia.
Rye is used in other traditional Finnish dishes as well, such as Karelian pasty and Finnish fish pasty better known as kalakukko. And we cannot forget about mämmi – a both loved and hated Finnish Easter dessert made mostly of rye flour, malted rye, and water.
An important part of the popularity of rye is its healthiness: it contains more dietary fiber than any other cereal. With fiber comes a range of vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium, iron, zinc, and B vitamins. A rye grain also includes a variety of bioactive compounds linked to improved health. In research, rye products such as wholegrain rye bread have been found to, among other things
- improve gut health
- reduce the amount of bad (LDL) cholesterol
- help control blood sugar and insulin levels
- assist in weight management by increasing satiety.
Sources: Finnish Food Authority; Jonsson K., Andersson R., Knudsen K. E. B., Hallmans G., Hanhineva K., Katina K., Kolehmainen M., Kyrø C., Langton M., Nordlund E., Nygaard Lærke H., Olsen A., Poutanen K., Tjønneland A., Landberg, R. Rye and health – Where do we stand and where do we go? (2018). Trends in Food Science & Technology, Volume 79; Leipätiedotus; Nordic Rye Forum.
